Colossians 4:16 asks the church in Colossae to read Paul’s letter aloud to their gathering, then send it on so the church in Laodicea can hear it too, and to read the letter that is coming from Laodicea in return. The verse is a small piece of church logistics, but it shows that early Christians treated apostolic writing as something meant for the whole family of believers. Paul wrote this instruction near the end of the letter, and it was addressed to the believers in Colossae, with a request that they pass the message along.
When this letter has been read among you, cause it to be read also in the assembly of the Laodiceans; and that you also read the letter from Laodicea.
Colossians 4:16 (WEB)
What Colossians 4:16 Means
The phrase “when this letter has been read among you” refers to a public reading. In the first century, most believers could not own a personal copy of a letter, and few could read on their own. A letter arriving in a town was typically read aloud in the gathering, so the words reached ordinary members through the ear. Paul expects this and gives a practical step: once the Colossians have heard it, they should make sure it is “read also” in Laodicea.
The verse then adds a second request. The Colossians should also “read the letter from Laodicea,” a document Paul does not describe. Scholars debate what this letter was, and some suggest it was a circular letter that Paul had written to nearby churches or one that had been sent to Laodicea and then shared. The verse does not tell us its content, so it would be a mistake to build detailed claims on it. What it does show is a habit of exchanging writings so that churches learned from one another.
The verse makes no promise about blessing or outcome. It simply describes the sharing of Scripture-like teaching within the community, and it reminds you that God’s word was meant to be heard together, not kept in private.
The Context of Colossians 4:16
Colossians is traditionally attributed to Paul and was written to a mostly Gentile church in Colossae, a town in the Lycus Valley of what is now western Turkey. Paul had not personally founded this congregation, but he wrote to strengthen it against false teaching and to remind believers that Christ is supreme over all things. Laodicea and Hierapolis were nearby cities, and Paul’s letter links the three churches together.
The verses just before and after set the scene warmly. Paul speaks of Epaphras’s great concern for the believers in all three cities, names Luke and Demas as sending greetings, and asks the church to greet the brothers in Laodicea and Nymphas and the assembly in his house. Verse 17 then sends a pointed charge to Archippus to fulfill his ministry. Seen this way, verse 16 is part of a web of relationships. It shows that the letter was not an isolated treatise but a living connection between believers who knew one another by name.
Key Phrases in Colossians 4:16
Acts 17:11
Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
(WEB)
This verse describes the Bereans who received Paul’s message eagerly and then examined the Scriptures daily. It pairs well with Colossians 4:16 because both show believers taking God’s word seriously, reading it carefully and testing teaching against the truth.
1 Thessalonians 5:27
I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the holy brothers.
(WEB)
In this closing charge, Paul asks that his letter be read to all the brothers. It echoes the same concern found in Colossians 4:16: that apostolic teaching should be publicly read so the whole congregation can hear and be built up together.
A Short Prayer From Colossians 4:16
Lord, thank you for the words you have given us and for the people who share them with us. Help me to receive your truth with an open and humble heart, whether it comes from a teacher I know well or from a believer across town or across the world. Make me willing to pass on what has blessed me, so that others may be encouraged as I have been. Teach me to read together with my brothers and sisters, learning from one another as we follow you. Amen.
